The Scarlet Dilemma
by Ardnexia
Summary: Scarlet, Robin Hood's and Marian's spirited 16 year old daughter, is confused. Confused, and mad! She doesn't need a better education. She just wanted to live with her father in the forest. But her mother has sent her to live in the capital city for tutoring by an old friend. Tensions mount as a bigger plot is slowly revealed. I'm going to say T on the rating just to play it safe.
1. Prologue

The Scarlet Dilemma

By Ardanexelia

Robin named her Scarlet, just to annoy will. Marian was so annoyed with him she slapped him, then re-named her daughter Elizabeth. But as she aged, Elizabeth became a rather flawed name. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as her mother called her, was strong, athletic, agile, and didn't care much for her mothers life, preferring to stay in the company of her father.

So she was re-named, yet again and to Will Scarlet's dismay, Scarlet. By the time Scarlet was 7 months, she could walk, and by 8, she could run, often tormenting her parents by walking off when their backs were turned.

She was a reckless toddler, but she played well with the animals, taking a particular interest in foxes, and she enjoyed the occasional climb up to the tops of trees, her mother crying for her to come down, her father laughing heartily until Marian yelled at him.

But as for academics, she was hardly well schooled. Her mother recited the occasional poem, and read her books when she could. Scarlet could talk well by the age of 4, but writing and reading were beyond her, and politics she never understood very well. But oh, how Marian loved to sing to her. Everyday, anywhere, doing anything, you could hear the clear notes from a far ways off.

The two loved the little girl, despite the trouble she caused. But years go by quickly. Soon little Scarlet was 16. She excelled in archery, foot races, swordplay, and climbing trees. She was horrible at being patient, writing, and reading, but she was clever, and she had the potential. Perhaps less potential then her mother thought she had.


	2. Chapter 1

Scarlet weaved through trees, following her father. The ground flew by beneath her. She leaped from her tree branch and grabbed the next one, swinging from it and landing lightly on a branch four feet away.

"Father, where are we going?" She called. "You'll see. Now quiet! Don't awaken them." Them happened to be a group of soldiers, sleeping some hundred feet away in the light of a dying fire. Scarlet continued her path through the tree branches towards them. The sliver of the moon darted behind a cloud as they went.

Marian would not have liked this one bit, but luckily she was sleeping soundly, thanks to the Chamomile Scarlet had but in her tea. Marian would never have to no. _Ignorance is bliss,_ Scarlet thought slyly.

Scarlet was now in a tree just twenty feet above where the soldiers lay sleeping. She crept lower, to the lowest branch she could when she heard, "Who whoooo..." The owls call. Or rather, Alan's call. _Alan the Owl, _She thought comically. _Ha. _She dropped down from the tree and landed lightly on her feet. Around her, the merry men were doing the same, circling the soldiers.

Scarlet and a few others darted forward, pocketing the coins of the elderly gentlemen whom the soldiers were guarding. Filthy rich, the lot of em'. She pulled reached down to take a rich young man's coin purse when his eyes opened and he snatched he wrist.

Around her the guards and the other men were jumping to their feet. "Oh hell." She muttered. He pulled a sword from a sheath with one hand, still gripping her wrist tightly. "I didn't know girls were allowed in the sherwood forest." He said snidely. "Their not," Scarlet replied.

She kicked the sword out of his hand, twisted her arm in his grip, and smashed his nose with her elbow. "So get out!" He felt his nose and cringed. He advanced persistently, but Scarlet ducked behind him and kicked him in the small of his back. Little John, who happened to be passing by, took the chance to crack him on the head with his quarter staff.

"Thanks," Scarlet said breathlessly. He grinned. "You had everything under control anyway." She laughed. Then a knife was pressed up against her throat. She stiffened. "Drop the weapons, or the miss dies." Everything ground to a halt. Robin sighed and dropped his bow and quiver on the ground.

Quickly the other merry men followed suit. From the stench it could only be one person. "Gisbourne." The word came out as a low whisper, but was clearly audible. "Yes Letty, Sir Gisbourne." Robin's voice was treacherously deadly.

"Good, now, if you would please kneel with your hands on your head, I would be most obliged." He grabbed onto Scarlet's hair with one hand, with the other he held the knife. "Now!" Slowly the merry men did as asked.

Scarlet shook with rage. She hated being the bargaining chip. It made her feel helpless, like she was a helpless newborn everyone had to watch out for. Then another person walked into view. It was the Sheriff of Nottingham. "Well done Gisbourne. You will be paid in full. Once they are locked up."

The sheriff walked over to Robin. "Well well. Robin of Hood. Brought to your knees once and for all." Robin said nothing. "You will look me in the eye when I speak to you, convict." Robin looked up at him. "Very good. You understand then, that your daughters life is on the line if you don't. And where is Marian? Well, I hope?" Robin looked down. "She's safe. Far away from you."

"Gisbourne!" The sheriff said. Scarlet felt the dagger dig into her skin, puncturing it. She bit her lip to keep from making a noise. "Gisbourne!" The voice was distinctly female, this time. All heads whipped around including Scarlet's. Scarlet barely had time to gasp before Gisbourne fell to the ground, and arrow lodged in his abdomen


	3. Chapter 2

Although they did not go down without a fight, the men fell easily after Gisbourne was knocked out of the game. After ensuring the unconsciousness of the men, Robin checked the coins. "Fake." He spat. They collected their swords and headed back to camp.

The archer behind the bow turned out to be Scarlet's mother. Marian was red with fury, her hands trembling. When they got back to camp, she began to shout.

"ROBIN! I WARNED you not to take our daughter out on a dawn patrol again! I told you it was to dangerous!" Robin raised a hand. "Bu-" "And you scarlet! How COULD you spike my tea like that. If I hadn't come running...! Oh I hate to THINK of it!"

"Mother, I-"

"Don't say a WORD Scarlet Hood! Not a single syllable! I thought I could TRUST you!" She began to cry. "I'm just your mother Scarlet! I'm want to keep you safe."

"Mother..."

"What?!" Robin shook his head. "I don't remember you being an archeress!" He said slowly. "Archer," Scarlet and Marian corrected him. Marian blushed. "I've been practicing. Just a little! With your bow."

"I HAD my bow. So when did you get your own?" Marian blushed more. "Uh... I made it."

"Yourself? Without any help? And with little to no experience." Marian fidgeted with her curls. It was amazing how Robin could turn one conversation the other way with a single sentence. Scarlet secretly hoped she would grow up like him.

She glanced at Marian. A traitorous thought to be sure, but still. "Ooooh... Fine! If you must know, Much helped me."

"Much?" Scarlet and Robin said in unison. "Yes. But Scarlet, I've had enough of your..." Scarlet sighed. Back to step one. "Mother, I had it under control. I wouldn't have gotten hurt. I was ABOUT to but that freak Gisbourne out of his misery when you did it for me."

"Oh so?!"

"Yes, oh so!" Robin intervened. "Ladies, please. We don't want to tell them where we live, do we?" They quieted down a little. "For years I have let you do as you please, Scarlet! You climbed trees, practiced all sorts of self defense and offense, but this is the limit! I don't want you to get hurt, and you still need training!"

"What?!" Scarlet was indignant. "I've trained since I could walk and talk!"

"You have trained physically," Marian said harshly. Robin and Scarlet groaned. "But not mentally. You lack knowledge, and above all, you lack patience and resolve."

"What!?" Scarlet leapt to her feet. "I have tried to learn all I can, but it's rather hard seeing as WE LIVE IN A FOREST!" She was screaming now. Little John intervened. "It may not be my place Ma'm, but could this wait till morning?" He asked Marian.

They all obeyed Marian. Something about being married to the boss, and her strong personality. Their personalities were one of the few things they had in common.

"Very well." Marian stood. She was in a particullarly bad mood today. She left and strutted to their room, giving Scarlet and Robin one last ferocious glare. It was silent for a moment.

"I don't think I've ever seen mother like that before."

"I have," Robin said cheerfully, settling down by a small fire in a circle of rocks. Alan poked his head out from a tent door. "It was when we first met-"

"DON'T TELL THAT STORY!" Marian raged inside the room. "Fine," Robin grinned. "What about when we went skinny-dipping at-" A pillow hit him in the face, then toppled down into a crack in the rocks. "Hey!" He yelled, "That was my favorite pillow!"

Scarlet woke up blearily, shook the sleep from her head, and stretched. A thin mist covered Sherwood, not thick enough so as to obscure the camp, but enough to veil the distant hills. A tint of darkness still seemed to hang in the air.

Scarlet stole through camp as quietly as possible, collected her bow and quiver, and was just outside of camp when her foot caught on a protruding tree root and she stumbled. Instinct took over. Drop everything and roll, her mind said. _No, I can't fall. I can't!_ So she took a big step forward.

A stick snapped as her foot landed. She tensed, waiting... waiting... But nothing. The camp was as still as the grave. She waited until she was far from the camp before she ran. She smiled gleefully as she leapt onto a boulder, then the next, higher one, and the next, until she reached the top. She crouched, nocking an arrow.

"My," a voice said. "getting good, aren't we?" Scarlet froze, then relaxed. "Don't speak in the royal we, Friar Tuck. It ages you, and you're old enough." He laughed.

A large, rotund man with balding hair, the friar was at least fifty years old. He could be clumsy and loud, but he could walk so silently, you wouldn't even know he was there until it was to late.

"I'm quite sorry to say that I eavesdropped in on your parents in bed." Scarlet shrugged. "Oh yes?" He looked sheepish. "I thought I shod tell you in advance..."

"Out with it, Friar!"

"Your mother means to send you away to the city for a year,"

**Truth be told, this story scares me. I'm never sure where to go with it, and the characters feel distant from me. But I love it so far, so I'll keep updating when I can.**


	4. A brief interlude

Hey guys, I am super sorry that I haven't updated for, what, it must be two or three months now. I've been absolutely swamped wit school, sports, and other extra curricular activities. School officially lets out tomorrow, so I will be back and updating again by that time. Expect updates in a week or so, for most of them, maybe sooner. I have a lot to keep up with! Please keep reading, reviewing, and following. More reviews, follows, etc. means faster updates.


	5. Chapter 3

"I can't believe this!" Scarlet ranted, stomping around her tent as her mother threw articles of clothing into an ancient trunk. "Elena is perfectly nice and very respectable."

"Thats what worries me!" Scarlet shrieked. Marian threw one final skirt into the trunk and slammed the lid with a loud bang. "Where's Robin?" Scarlet was steamed. "Your father is outside miss, smartly avoiding this conversation." Will Scarlet was seated at the table. "He sent me as his representative." Marian and Scarlet both glared furiously at Will, who shrank back, and shouted in unison, "ROBIN!"

"This," Scarlet said for the umpteenth time, "is utterly ridiculous." Will led Scarlet through the forest along the path. Behind them, the sun was rising from it's cradle. "I agree, but I'm not arguing with your mother. It's too dangerous. Remember what happened to John?"

Scarlet grinned. "Yes, indeed I do." It was true. Marian was quite the spitfire. "Where are we going?" Will considered. "Nottingham." Scarlet nodded. "How far?"

"A couple of hours. But I'm not taking you all the way. You're to meet someone who will take you into the city."

"Who?" Scarlet said irritably. Will opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it. "Great. Just great." Will grinned. "You sound rather irked." Scarlet sighed. "Irked. Yeah. Absolutely."

Within an hour, a towering rock was visible, and soon they came upon it. "Well, this is the spot Marian described." Will sighed.

"How old are you?"

"Why?" Scarlet laughed at his insecurity, settling herself on a bench in the rock. "You heard me. How old are you?" Will rolled his eyes and thought. "Twenty-Seven. I think."

"You think?" Will grinned sheepishly. "I haven't exactly been keeping track." Someone stepped out from behind the bushes and both Scarlet and Will drew their weapons; Scarlet a pair of daggers, Will his sword.

The man, or rather, boy, sighed. "I'm here to bring Scar into the city."

"That's Scarlet," Scarlet interjected, "not Scar." Will lowered his sword, but didn't put it away. "Proof, boy." The boy reached into his bag and tossed Scarlet a bound book. "_Malena_. What the hell is this?" Will sheathed his sword.

"That's all I needed. I'll see you, Scarlet."

"Wait!" Scarlet said, but he was gone. She turned and slid a dagger into its sheath, slipping the other one under her belt for easy access. She turned back to the boy, leading her horse over to where he stood. "Scarlet Hood." He glanced at her "Gavin Rowntree."

Scarlet sighed as they began walking towards the city. She almost thought she heard a cry from somewhere in the trees behind her, but she ignored it, focusing on keeping her pace as she walked towards her doom.

* * *

><p>scarlet yawned. It was her first official day. School (<em>ugh), <em>had started only a month ago, so she wouldn't be "too far behind, hopefully." Elena had fretted over the state of her clothing, looking Scarlet up and down. "But we'll have to do something about those clothes. Men's attire... Honestly. They won't do at all. And you'll have to start growing your hair out."

Scarlet sat up slowly, stretching out her aching back. Her short, dark brown hair had fallen into her eyes. She brushed it back, annoyed, and stood up to get dressed.

Elena had set out a burgundy dress for her, with a pair of black slip on shoes for her. Scarlet slipped on the dress, but chose her own leather boots over the slip ons.

She walked down the stairs quietly. She was an early riser, even with her parents and the boys (Scarlet had always refused to call them merry men). The sun had yet to shine on the rooftops of the city, and a dreary morning fog still hung low over them.

She was surprised to see that Gavin was already up. "I'm surprised you're awake." he commented as he poured himself a cup of tea. "we have to leave in an hour." Scarlet gaped at him.

"An hour?" No one ever got up before she did. Ever. Until now, obviously. "Yes. School starts at 6 and ends at 12. That way we can still help out parents with the days work."

Insanity. That's what this was. Abso-damn-lutely insane. "Are you kidding me?"

"Oh yes, I have so much time to make jokes."

"That time schedule is... Insane!"

"For you maybe."

"But... Why subject yourself to such torture?"

"For an education. We're slowly breaking out of the societal standards for social and economic standings.

Nottingham is the only city that has an education program run by the government. We are extremely lucky. We don't want to waste our opportunity." Scarlet sighed. "I understand that. But why not take some time to explore what else you may want to do in the world? Have a little fun, and sleep in?" 'Not that you sleep in anyway, Scarlet.' She chided herself. He shook his head. "You don't understand." Scarlet frowned. "No, obviously I don't."

* * *

><p>Scarlet had a difficult time not drifting off in her morning classes from sheer boredom, so it came as a relief to her when the school let out for a while to let them eat.<p>

Scarlet was sitting underneath a tree when they came over. A cluster of boys and girls, all her age with expensive clothing and pretty faces.

"Well, who's this? A new face." Scarlet stood. She felt more secure that way. "Scarlet hood." Several people gasped. "Hood, as in the famous Robin Hood?"

Scarlet managed to keep a straight face. "Who?"

"Robin Hood!"

"Steals from the rich-"

"And gives to the poor!"

"He is so dreamy..." Scarlet cringed. Her father was not the dreamy type in the slightest. And he was already taken.

One of the girls looked at Scarlet in disgust. "Short hair? It's never in style."

"Talking about style, look at that dress!"

"And the boots?"

"So tacky." Looking around, Scarlet glared at them. "These boots were a gift from my father." One of the girls in front snorted. "Where did he get them? That woman Elena's tacky dress shop?"

"She should start wearing clothes that actually fit her."

"She's so over weight!" Scarlet had half a mind to slap them. "I happen to be her good friend."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I pity you." Scarlet sat back down, a plan forming in her head. "I'm the one who's sorry. Obviously you don't understand civilised fashion if you think I'm out of style. But that's fine if you want to continue thinking your stylish. I don't mind."

The girls were whispering amongst themselves. Before one stepped forward boldly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I come from London of course! I'm always up to date, naturally. I mean, having long hair is so obviously last season."

The girls were staring at her intently. "Tell us more."

"You know what's really fashionable right now?" They shook their heads. "Shaved heads."


End file.
